BOTTOM LINE
No Confusion- Highly Routine
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
‘U’ Certified
What Is the Film About?
As the title suggests, Avi (Allu Sirish) is an American Born Confused Desi who has grown up in riches and knows no value of money or life. He is sent to Hyderabad by his father to understand the meaning of life and discover himself. What happens in India, and what changes it brings is what the movie is all about?
How Is Allu Sirish’s Performance?
Allu Sirish is, well Allu Sirish like he has been in any other movie of his. Playing an American Born should have given him scope to develop a new body language separating it from the past offerings, even if it gets into a cliché mode, but also that effort is not made. He breezes through the proceedings without much effort doing his usual antics. The good thing is that the film doesn’t require much heavy-duty acting and is lighter in nature. So, he gets a pass doing what he does without going overboard.
Direction by Sanjeev Reddy?
Sanjeev Reddy, in his second directorial venture, jumps into a commercial space that is thin on story. Films like these are a challenge to the makers as they need to engage the audience with a gripping screenplay and combination of various commercial elements that need to work in harmony to make the audience forget the routineness on display.
In ABCD, much like everything else in the space, Sanjeev Reddy banks on the entertainment to pull off the predictable narrative. As many might be aware, ABCD is a remake, so it already has a set framework, and the director has to execute it fitting the Telugu sensibilities. It is reflected in the choices of casting and entertainment blocks.
Still, despite all the clarity, the first half of ABCD lacks the masala to engage the audience. It is flat outright and goes about the proceedings in a forced and laborious manner. The ‘effort’ to entertain feels visible to the audience rather than being seamless. Also, the story is stagnant for a large part as more effort is put on the videsi’s struggling in desi environment.
It is only towards the interval that there is some moment in the actual story. The interval bang is symptomatic of how everything else has been before.
The second half, in comparison, feels better. It is chiefly due to the coming together of various subplots containing enough material to proceed as a narrative. There is the blooming love story in parts at one hand and the main track with MLA aspirant on the other. It keeps the flow better with a sense of something or the other happening.
The climax is wrapped up neatly without much melodrama. Overall, ABCD is like the noodle that is neither tasty nor bad to throw away. It is passable enough so that the hungry person can have it for the time being, but forgotten instantaneously.
Rukshar Dhillon and Others?
Rukshar Dhillon looks lovely and gets a typical ‘heroine’ role that doesn’t require much from her acting wise. She has less screen time, but whenever she appears, it generates a pleasant vibe visually even though there is not enough meat in her track. Raja Chembolu gets a decent role which he plays convincingly. His plot is the mainstay of the movie, which is why his part is critical to the narrative and registers. Bharat, now all grown up, does his part well, but he is riddled with a highly clichéd part. Vennela Kishore is decent in the few scenes he has got. Naga Babu and Shubhaleka Sudhakar are apt in their roles. The rest have minimal parts with decent to okayish gigs that fill the narrative.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Judah Sandhy is neat. The highlight of the album without any doubt is “Mella Mellaga” which is not only a success audio wise but also visually. The background score is alright. The cinematography is decent. It gives a gritty feel in parts which could have been worked upon in better fashion. The editing is okay. The writing takes a cliché approach and is a significant reason, along with the story, to get a routine feel to the movie.
Highlights?
Fun in Parts
Second Half
Music
Drawbacks?
Routine Story
Predictable Writing
First Half
Alternative Take
The romance, and thereby, the entertainment could have been better integrated into the narrative to make the proceedings crisp.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with huge reservations
ABCD Review by Siddartha Toleti
Final Report:
ABCD starring Allu Sirish is a typical cliché ridden narrative that offers very routine entertainment. It’s in a no man’s zone where its neither bad nor good, making it a passable affair. Visit back for our frank review shortly.
– Sakshi channel is to announce the Youth Icon winner. Climax.
– Sirish’s popularity growing in Youth Icon contest.
– Sirish is competing against the MLA aspirant for Youth Icon contest. On the other hand, there are protests against politician to stop his Chemical factory. Sirish also joins the protest.
– Mella Mellaga, the hit song of the album shot well.
– ABCD second half started with the love track in the college.
First Half Report:
There is nothing in the first half to highlight. Everything is very routine and ordinary so-far.
– Sirish had to join a college in India to get his monthly expenses. He bumps into Subhaleka Sudhakar’s arrogant son who owns the college. Interval.
– Naga Babu cuts all the financial resources for his son. Sirish is struggling in India without funds.
– Subhalekha Sudhakar, finance minister is trying to set the political base for his son.
– Naga Babu’s son Avi (Sirish) is a rich spoiled kid wants to enjoy life day in and out. He had to go to India after running into a small problem in the US.
– ABCD – American Born Confused Desi show started. Sirish makes entry with title song in New York City.
Preview: ABCD – American Born Confused Desi
Allu Sirish is coming with ABCD after a decent film like ‘Srirastu Subhamastu’. Looks like it is a good followup movie for the young hero, and he would fit into the space of the character, very well, along with Master Bharat (now he isn’t a child artist anymore, a grown-up young man).
Allu Sirish looked good and adequate in the trailers and so, he would be having a decent movie with a good word of mouth, and if the remake could entertain as much as the original Malayalam movie with the same title. A lot depends on director Sanjeev Reddy’s treatment.
Here, the biggest share would go to the comedy and also to the inbuilt romance that looked fresh. Of course, Ruksar Dhillon as the lead heroine has those refreshing looks that could make her the youngsters’ favorite if there was real magic around her character in the movie.
Director Sanjeev Reddy gave the feeling that they were faithful to the original, and if that is the case, the movie would only have to deal with the nativity issues. There seem to be none of those nativity issues in the trailers.
The movie has got a perfect slot for release when there is no apparently no competition from any small or medium budget film. Allu Sirish couldn’t have asked for a better release for his movie.
It’s time, we’ll get to know if ABCD indeed turned out to be this Summer entertainer that the trailers had promised. Keep watching this space for ‘ABCD’ review from our M9News team. Stay, tuned, folks!